A novice surfer in Australia fended off a shark by punching it in the face as it attacked him, but not before it bit him in the shoulder.

British doctor Charlie Fry was surfing off the north coast of Sydney with a friend on Monday when he felt something bang into his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a shark that was about 1.8 metres (6 feet) coming at him with its teeth bared.

The 25-year-old, who has only been surfing for two months, said he didn’t even notice he had been bitten, as he was overwhelmed with adrenaline and the primal urge for survival.

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